Orthodontic bracket



Sept. 23, 1941. J. D. PEAK ORTHODONTIC BRACKET Filed Jan. 27, 1941 Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oa'rnooon'rrc BRACKET Joseph Dayton Peak, Austin, Tex. Application January 27, 1941, Serial-No. 376,233

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in orthodontic appliances and particularly to brackets designed to be applied to tooth bands for use as a meansof attachment thereto of regulating arch wires and other orthodontic devices employed in connection with tooth bands for correcting the position of malposed teeth of the dental arch.

One object of the invention is to provide an anchoring bracket which may be made of thin metal and yet will be strong and durable so as to properly withstand and distribute the stresses produced by the attachments over a large area of, the tooth band.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bracket which may be readily and desirably formed. of either precious metals or of a comparatively cheap metal, such as stainless or chrome steel. v

Still another object of the invention isto provide a bracket which will hold a regulating arch wire properly seated and secured .out of irritating contact with the cheeks, lips or other portions of the mouth.

Still. another object of the invention is to provide a bracket which may be fixed to the tooth band by soldering, brazing or electric spot welding,'and which may be temporarily welded in an approximate position for adjustment and after adjustment welded firmly in permanent position.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a bracket towhich a regulating arch wire may be secured by a fastening pin or by a wire or other ligature.

still another object of the invention is to provide-a bracket which will allow forces to be applied for positively rotating a tooth and controlling its amount and degree of rotation, or for extruding, intruding, elevating, depressing or changing the axial inclination of a tooth by means of forces applied through the bracket to the tooth band.

. still another object of the invention is to provide a bracket which is simple and inex- Tpensive in construction, adapted to be readand claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a thin metal blank from which my improved bracket may be formed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the bracket formed from'the blank shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation ofthe bracket.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the bracket.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bracket. as it appears from the top or bottom thereof.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the bracket applied to a tooth band.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a band as applied to a tooth to which the bracket isfiXed, ill'ustrat ing one manner in which a regulating arch wire may be fastened to the tooth band.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7. f

Fig. 9 is a section on'the 1ine 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bracket showing a different manner of fastening a regulating arch wire to the tooth band.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line ll--H of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a manner of fastening an arch wire to a bracket and tooth band applied to an out of line tooth.

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing a manner of fastening a regulating arch wire to a tooth band for positive control of rotation ofa banded tooth. Y Fig. 14 is a front elevation illustrating a manner of temporarily fastening a bracket to a tooth bandso that it may be shifted for alinement.

Fig, 15 is a similar view showing in full and dotted lines a temporary position of the bracket and an alined position in which it is fixed.

' In carryingmy invention into practice I provide 'a'blank I, shown in Fig. 1, of thin metal from which a bracket la comprising the invention may be formed. This bracket is formed by bending the blank along the dotted lines shown in Fig. l. The bracket formed by the bending of the blank comprises 'a longitudinally extending, central channel 2 consisting of front walls 3 and opposed side walls 4, said channel being open at each end or at the top and bottom and also open at its rear side. At the opposite sides of the channel the bracket is provided with similar laterally extending flanges 5,

which also extend longitudinally alongside the walls 4 of the channel and are of a length equal to the length of the channel. These flanges may be of any suitable width and are integral with the rear edges of the walls 4 of the channel.

The channel is provided with a transverse slot 6 arranged midway of the length thereof and dividing the channel into upper and lower sections of equal or substantially equal dimensions. The slot 6 opens through the front wall 3 and both side walls 4 in advance of the flanges 5. Notches I may be formed in the upper and lower edges of the side walls 4 for the purpose of reducing width, facilitating bending of the metal in the formation of the; blank, or to permit of the useof fastening devices under some conditions. These notches I may be omitted, however,

if their provisionis not desired. Formed upon the outer longitudinal edges of the. flanges 5, V

are laterally extending tabs or lugs Bfor the attachment ofligatures or other fastening ele ments in certain uses of the bracket.

ing. Ordinarily the tooth band is formed of very thin and soft metal, while the bracket is made of a thin but much harder metal. The construction of; this bracket adapts it to be made of any of the precious metals customarily employed, but also adapts it to be made of hard stainless or chrome steel so that, whileformed of very thin metal,it will provide a strong and rigid support for arch ;wires and'other'ortho'dontic fastenings or elements used in connection therewith. The channel 2 of the bracket as shown in the present instance is of rectangular -form,but in practice may be of any desired and approved cross-sectional shape. e s

' Fig.;6 shows'th'e manner in which the bracket la is preferably' fastened to a tooth band 9 by electrical spotwelding at a plurality of points II), but, as stated; the bracket may be soldered, brazed or otherwise fastened in position; The thinness of the metalof which the bracket is formed, however, adapts it to be efiectively 'fastened in position by spot-welding the flanges 5, utilized as attachments; to theband 9 at'desired points. V The slot 6 provides for the mounting of-{an arch regulating wire II so that the wire is wholly received'within the slot and rests against the flanges 5 and between the flanges against the tooth band, so that the wire will fit snugly against the tooth band, and avoid any possibility of its coming in contact with and causing j irritation to thecheek, lips or other portions of the mouth of the patient. -When the arch wire is seated in the slot, the wire rests against the tooth-band; but all forces exerted thereon act through the bracket and are'thus distributed to vertically through theffcha-nnel 2 between the outer side of the arch wire and front wall of the channel and secured in position by bending its extremities, as shown at l3, outwardly-against the upperand lower edges of the front wall of the channel. e a In'Figs. 10 and 11 the arch wire H is shown as secured in position by means of a ligature l4 ofsilkpwire or other materiaLwhich is disposed between the arch wire and front wall of the channel and looped about said front Wall W t its ends twisted or otherwise united together, as shown at [5. Other means for securing the arch wire in position and ways of connecting it with the bracket may conceivably be employed to suit varying conditions of service and to adapt differto the tooth band is secured to the arch wire by a, ligature lffi looped through the channel 2 and suitably fastened to the wire, which ligature may beaof silk or other material which contracts under action of the moisture of the mouth to -place a pulling strain on the tooth. As a substi,

tute; for such a ligature a small ligature of stainless steel wire twisted to create a tension be-' tweenithearch wire and the bracket may be used. Such 'a ligature'may be applied, if desired, to either one or both of the'tabs'or lugs 8 and the arch wire to increase the area 'of the pulling strain or tension pull toeifect the draw'ofthe tooth in place. r

"Fig. 13 shows'an arrangement for transmitting a force necessary for rotation of a malposed tooth to bring it 'into position, in which the bracket is arranged at :an anglewith oneof the tabs 8 bearingagainst the arch wire and the other tab 8 connectedby a tension ligature I! to the arch band so that a force will be exerted thereon to rotate the tooth in the opposite direction. Obviously thetension ligature I! may be'applied in this way to either tab 8 for the purpose 'of' effecting rotation of the tooth in eitherdirection as -i-'equired to bring it into po:- sition. By the use of proper ligatures orother attachment devices and applying the same-to the 'archband and to proper portions of the bracket 'forcesmay be'applied from the regulating arch wire tothe' 'tooth through the medium of the tooth band for extruding, intruding, elevating, depressing, rotating or changing. :the axial inclination'of teeth as may be required to correct the positions of malposed teeth, and the forces-imposed or transmitted may be regulated and controlled to the exact degree necessary for the purpose.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate a mannerinwhich the bracketmay be temporarily secured to the tooth band in an approximate position for use and held so that it may be adjusted-to finalposition desired. As here illustrated, the bracket is spot-welded to'the bandat one point, as'in dicated at ia in Figr14, so that it may be rotatably adjusted from such position and from the temporary positionillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 15 to a final position as shown'in full lines; in which it may be spot-welded at additional' points to fix it firmly to the tooth band. The construction of the bracket and character of thin'metal of which it is made adapts it to be secured for adjustment in thismanner and accurate adjustment made, whereupon it may be finally fixed in position. v 1 From the foregoing'descriptiom'takenin connection'w'ith the drawing, the constructiommode of manufacture and use of my improved orthodontic bracket will be readily understood by those versed in the art without a further extended description and it willbe seen that the invention provides a bracket which may be made of very thin metal but yet will be of great strength to adapt it to withstand the stresses and strains and distribute the stresses and strains uniformly over the tooth band so as to avoid liability of causing annoyance or pain to the patient. Also it will be seen that the invention provides a bracket which may be firmly fixed to the tooth band in any of the ways set forth and utilized for holding an arch regulating wire in position wholly out of contact with any portion of the mouth and in various ways so that stresses or strains of various kinds for corrective actions may be imposed upon teeth to be treated. Furthermore, it will be seen that the invention provide a bracket which may be made in a simple manner and of stainless or chrome steel 50 that a highly efficient bracket may be produced at a low cost.

What I claim is:

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising a thin sheet metal bracket adapted to be applied to a tooth band and bent to provide a longitudinally extending channel open at each end and one side, laterally extending flanges at the sides of the channel, the channel being formed with a transverse slot opening through its front and side walls, and tabs carried by and projecting laterally from the flanges.

2. An orthodontic appliance comprising a thin sheet metal bracket adapted to be applied to a tooth band and bent to provide a longitudinally extending channel open at each end and one side, laterally extending flanges at the sides of the channel, the channel being formed with a transverse slot opening through its front and side walls, and tabs carried by and projecting laterally from the flanges in transverse alinement with each other and with said slot in the channel.

3. An orthodontic appliance comprising a thin sheet metal bracket adapted to be applied to a tooth band and bent to provide a longitudinally extending channel open at its upper and lower ends and rear side, flanges extending laterally from the side walls of the channel and longitudinally of said walls, the channel being formed with a slot located centrally of its length and opening through its front and side walls, and tabs extending laterally from the flanges in transverse alinement with each other and in the horizontal plane of the slot.

JOSEPH DAYTON PEAK. 

